Tufts Blogs

I’ve been really surprised by just how many research, grant, and professional opportunities exist for students, especially at SMFA. I’ve been lucky to benefit from them as a student, and seen how impactful they can be for an academic journey through many friends.

I received the Dean’s Research Fund Grant with a friend last year, and it was a huge moment for us. The funding helped cover material expenses and allowed us to explore ideas that would’ve otherwise remained theoretical. It was incredible to have institutional backing as we took risks and articulated what we were doing through the framework of research.

That’s not the only funding SMFA has for student research. SMFA students can also pursue art and research through Summer Scholars. The program looks different for everyone, which is really one of its strengths. I’ve had friends working in the silk lab, others doing studio-based research, and some operating mostly out of the library. What’s amazing is that the program supports both living expenses and research costs, and you have a faculty mentor. So, it really makes it possible to fully commit to your project over the summer, with the support you need to succeed. It’s been really amazing to see friends use the opportunity to pursue wildly different paths, making it clear there’s no right way to do research. All you need is a question to answer.

SMFA students can also receive scholarships to places like Penland School of Crafts, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Ox-Bow School of Art, and more through SMFA. It opens a door to more education, yes, but also access to incredible artist communities beyond campus. I was really lucky to receive the Penland scholarship this year, and I’ll get to take my first chairmaking course with George Sawyer and Félix Bouchet—genuinely a dream come true!

Some of the most valuable learning I’ve experienced at Tufts has happened through internships and studio work, especially working with faculty members and learning from local artists.

I’ve been interning this semester at Cloth Collaborative, under one of our amazing professors, Sam Fields. It’s been great to see what it actually looks like to run a studio, but also help out with social media, studio set-up, disassembling massive looms, and keeping everything organized. Sam’s also been so generous in supporting students in fibers. She’s given me 3 fleeces that I’ve been processing and then carding and spinning with friends, faculty, and more (it’s become a bit of a community event!). 

One of the most meaningful threads through all of my time at Tufts has been the value of those mentorships from professors. I’ve been incredibly lucky to take classes with several studio art professors multiple times.

I’ve had Annie Meyer as a professor for four semesters, and just started TA-ing for them this semester (which kind of makes 5 semesters?). They’ve supported me so much as I’ve grown in my woodworking practice and helped connect me with an incredible network of artists and craftspeople.

After seeing me process all of that wool I mentioned, Leslie Rogers, our fibers Professor of the Practice, thought I might be interested in processing flax from the dye garden, supported by a grant from the Tufts Green Fund. This opened up an entirely new material pathway for me! With support from Leslie and other faculty, I learned how to process flax. That relationship eventually led to an opportunity I never would’ve predicted: giving a spinning workshop at the Museum of Fine Arts!

All of this is to say that there are countless ways to find support at SMFA and a lot of truly unique resources to take advantage of as students.